What's the 175 points of it anyway?

To think an inter-county football team could concede such an amount of scores in 5 short games is unimaginable. Well, it would be, if it was any of the 32 other counties playing in this years Allianz National Football League. But this ain't your average team, no sir, it's the mighty Kilkenny football team. While their hurling counterparts swat away opposing teams like they are bothersome flies, the footballers struggle to swat anything, let alone a ball.

A brief look at the results so far in this year's NFL (Division 4 might I add), make for grim reading for all footballing lovers/followers* in the marble city.

Game 1 - Sligo 3-20 (29 pts) - 0-4 Kilkenny
Game 2 - Antrim 4-27 (39 pts) - 0-5 Kilkenny
Game 3 - Waterford 2-20 (26 pts) - 0-3 Kilkenny
Game 4 - Wicklow 7-24 (45 pts) - 0-4 Kilkenny
Game 5 - Clare 5-21 (36 pts) - 0-4 Kilkenny

TOTAL OPPONENTS: 21-112 (175) PTS - KILKENNY 0-19 PTS

Mercifully Kilkenny had this weekend off, plenty of time for the coaching staff to construct some sort of a robotic replacement team. But seriously a look at the history books just confirms the county's horrendous 'footballing tradition'.

They have not won a senior championship match since 1929 when they defeated Louth by 0-10 to 0-4. Their best championship ahem 'result' since was a 3-8 to 3-4 DEFEAT against Kildare in 1961. Kilkenny is unique among the 32 Irish county associations in not participating in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. According to Wikipedia, in 1914 the young team mascot, Peter Dunne, had to line out to complete their team, this might be nonsense, but then again it is Kilkenny football we're talking about!

Also up to this year, they had not competed in the league in years. Unless Mickey Harte and half the Tyrone & Kerry teams decide to claim Kilkenny citizenship, the Black & Amber brigade may put football on the back burner again. For a county of great sporting tradition, the football team is a bit of a running joke!!. If this was a boxing match the towel would have been mercifully thrown in long ago. Although god does love a trier...

* Football followers/lovers in Kilkenny are about as rare as a Cork person who doesn't believe in their county.